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test dr ive Throw an indoor grilling party W ant to be retro and cutting edge at the same time? Throw a raclette party. Like fondue, raclette is an age-old Swiss tra- dition involving melted cheese. Fondue enjoyed an American heyday in the ’70s, but raclette never took hold in this country. That may change with the increasing availability of raclette grills, like this one from Trudeau. How it works: You slice cheese into the eight small trays and slide them under the heating element to melt; then grill meats, seafood, and vegetables on top. Guests grab what they want from the grill—small potatoes and bread are traditional—and then pour the melted cheese over the top. The result is small bites of gooey goodness. I had some fussy friends over, and it was a great meal solution, as everyone could grill just what he or she wanted. The nonstick surface of this Trudeau grill worked especially well, as the cheese slid right out of the pans, the food developed nice grill marks, and it all cleaned up easily. Origins: Raclette refers to both the dish made with the cheese and the cheese itself, an Alpine cow’s milk cheese with a creamy consistency that melts easily but doesn’t get too runny. Raclette cheese, made on both the Swiss and French sides of the Alps, is worth seeking out for its nutty smell and slightly salty, fruity taste. But if you can’t find it, use any smooth-melting cheese, such as Gruyère or Gouda. To buy: The Trudeau Reversible Party Grill set costs $99.99 at Laprimashops.com. A new generation of vacuum sealers: hand-held for small bags Within a few weeks of each other, samples of two new food vacuum sealer bag systems landed on my desk. After several weeks of using both, I can understand their popularity. Both are hand-held, battery operated (6 AA), and much more compact (and cheaper) than the countertop vacuum sealing systems on the market. The Handi-Vac (left) is made by Reynolds and the Vacu-Seal (above) is made by Pack-Mate. Both work with specially designed 1-quart and 1-gallon bags, but each has a different suction tip, so the bags are not interchangeable. I found both handy for sealing vegetables, leftovers, nuts, baked goods, and meats to store in the fridge or freezer. With oxygen being the main culprit in food spoilage, vacuum 34 Fine Cooking sealers essentially take zip-top bags to the next level by removing as much air as possible from inside the bag. Although bags for both systems sealed quickly and held tight going from freezer to fridge to room temperature, once the bags were opened, they didn’t reliably reseal. Both companies claim their bags can be reused, but I had mixed results, with some bags resealing fine and others slowly losing their seal. Bottom line: Both are an easy-to-use, economical alternative to the vacuum sealer systems that cost upwards of $100. They work well for long-term storage, but because resealing is unreliable, are less effective for food you use frequently, such as cheese or cereal. To buy: The Vacu-Seal is $29.99 (including five bags); additional bags are $19.99 for 20 gallon-size bags or 26 quart-size bags. Order it at Vacu-Seal.com. The Handi-Vac costs $9.99 (including three bags); additional bags are $3.29 for 9 gallon-size bags or 14 quart-size bags. It’s sold at Wal-Mart and Target. Bottom photos: Tom Allen equipment